“It’s hard to raise money in the suburbs.” That’s what Brent Peterson, vice-president of development and marketing for Thresholds said about fundraising for the non-profit organization that serves persons with severe mental illness.

“There’s a feeling out there that there are no human services needs and that homelessness doesn’t exist out here,” Peterson continued. “Clearly that’s not the case.”

However Peterson is currently grateful to an organization that recognizes his agency’s needs: The Healthcare Foundation of Highland Park, which has helped provide Thresholds with funding.

Thresholds is one of the numerous non-profit organizations that receives grants from the Healthcare Foundation of Highland Park, and on May 29, approximately 100 representatives from the grantee organizations attended a special breakfast, sponsored by the foundation to pay tribute their work.

“We wanted to get them all together to network and talk to each other, but also to thank them for the way they enhance healthcare in our community,” said Jim Styer, chairman of the Healthcare Foundation of Highland Park.

Established in 2000, the Foundation gives some $2.5 million per year to organizations providing health care and services in Chiicago’s north suburbs. It also supports the healthcare mission of NorthShore Highland Park Hospital by providing a $4 million per year grant to offset the hospital’s costs of uncompensated care and other programs.

“The foundation has been instrumental in helping support one of our programs called ‘Right from the Start’ that helps support Latino families in the community,” said Jordan Friedman of Family Network. He agrees with Peterson that funding is hard to come by,“because there’s a misperception that there are no needs on the North Shore.”

Since its inception, The Healthcare Foundation of Highland Park has given more than $78 million to more than 50 organizations. The Foundation is comprised of 100 percent volunteers, making administrative costs minimal, and which allows almost all its funds to be disseminated through grants. Learn more a thphealthfoundation.org.